Chapter 32

When Lu Nong first met Shen Yimei, Pei Zheng’s mother, she quickly formed a general impression of her. It seemed that both the Pei family and Shen Yimei herself had hoped for a reconciliation with Pei Ji’an. Unfortunately, Pei Ji’an had not reciprocated those feelings.

Her arrival shattered their fantasies, which was why Pei Mingxia was always looking for faults and causing trouble for her.

After understanding the whole situation, Lu Nong was more determined than ever to stay out of the Pei family’s affairs. As long as Pei Ji’an’s parents and sister did not interfere with her, they could do whatever they pleased. If they dared to confront her, she would stand her ground.

As for Shen Yimei, Lu Nong chose not to comment much since she was Pei Zheng’s mother.

“Let’s go. Didn’t you say we need to attend the opening ceremony?” Lu Nong said, walking leisurely toward the school with her hands behind her back.

Pei Zheng was puzzled and hurried to catch up with her. “Aren’t you worried?”

Lu Nong glanced at him and asked, “Worried about what?”

Pei Zheng, with a rare serious expression, replied, “My mom has a good relationship with my grandparents and aunt. They have always wanted to bring my mom and dad back together, which is why they’ve been hostile to you. Aside from me, everyone else in the family does not accept you. Aren’t you worried at all?”

Lu Nong smiled mysteriously. “You mentioned that your grandparents and aunt want to reunite your parents. Have they succeeded?”

Pei Zheng was at a loss for words. “Well, no.”

In reality, over the years, Pei Zheng had realized that it was just his mother’s one-sided wish. With his grandparents indulging her, the situation had become quite awkward. He mentioned it to remind Lu Nong to be cautious.

“This is your first question. Since they haven’t succeeded without me, they definitely won’t succeed now that I’m here. Disrupting a military marriage is no small matter.”

Lu Nong playfully said “disrupting a military marriage” as if it were a casual remark, but Pei Zheng felt a chill run down his spine. He realized that his stepmother was not someone to take lightly. If things escalated, he had a feeling the consequences would not be in their favor.

“Your second question is that your dad has already said I should keep my distance from your grandparents. This way, I can at least avoid fifty percent of the trouble. If I don’t see them, how can their attitude towards me be hostile?”

Lu Nong held up five fingers to show Pei Zheng. “The other fifty percent depends on whether your aunt or grandmother will cause trouble for me. If they come after me, well, do you think I’m the kind of person who lets others walk all over me?”

Lu Nong clenched her fingers into a fist and, with her other hand, started cracking her knuckles. Then she flashed a bright smile, showing her pearly whites, as if to say she was just joking.

Pei Zheng: “…” Excuse me, I shouldn’t be worrying about you, I should be worrying about my silly little aunt and my biased grandma.

…He knew he shouldn’t judge Lu Nong with a normal mindset. His face turned pale as he realized he was trying to warn Lu Nong to be careful, but she seemed to be saying that if provoked, she would throw down the gauntlet.

From what he knew of Lu Nong, she was indeed capable of doing just that.

How could a woman like Lu Nong exist?

Pei Zheng felt very confused. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, Lu Nong exuded a vibrant energy. Since she entered their home, the previously dull atmosphere has brightened up. Before, he and his father couldn’t even be bothered to tidy up after Aunt Sun.

But Lu Nong was different from most women he knew. In Pei Zheng’s view, good men should work hard to support their families, while good women should be hardworking, kind, obedient, and respectful to their in-laws. Even the most assertive women didn’t feel like Lu Nong.

Pei Zheng had never fantasized about what his future wife would be like, but if he did, he imagined her to be kind and gentle. Most people thought the same way.

If the last time in the hospital he sensed that Lu Nong wasn’t the “obedient” type, then this time her clear response shattered his preconceived notions. Pei Zheng felt as though his values were being challenged.

Yet if Lu Nong was indeed unconventional, she had her own way of dealing with people. While it might seem out of place, she never made anyone who wanted to coexist peacefully with her uncomfortable. On the contrary, he felt respect and equality from her.

Pei Zheng sighed, worrying about his father’s future. It seemed he had married a little ancestor.

Lu Nong pretended not to notice Pei Zheng’s sighs. When they reached a fork in the road, she parted ways with him and headed toward the history department’s teaching building.

This year, the history department had divided the freshmen into three classes: Archaeology, World History, and Chinese History. Each class focused on different aspects of the subject, which intrigued Lu Nong. It allowed students to pursue their interests, but since she was attending classes with third-year students this year, she wouldn’t have that opportunity.

The first lecture was Professor Zhou Qinghuan’s World History class. The small classroom was filled to capacity, indicating how popular Professor Zhou was.

Professor Zhou indeed had the credentials to back his popularity. He came from a privileged background, was exceptionally talented, and had studied abroad multiple times. He was proficient in a dozen foreign languages, had revised various historical documents, and was later invited to teach at several top universities in the country, filling classrooms with eager students.

Lu Nong arrived early and found a seat by the window amidst the amazed gazes of her classmates. Suddenly, someone tapped her on the shoulder from behind. “Classmate, are you Lu Nong?”

Surprised that someone recognized her, Lu Nong turned around.

Seeing her look questioning, Cheng Duoduo quickly extended her hand. “Hello, hello, I’m Cheng Duoduo, your roommate from Room 203. I arrived at the dormitory later than you did yesterday. They told me there’s a third-year student in our dorm named Lu Nong, and they said I should find the prettiest one in the crowd, and it must be you.”

“I didn’t believe it at first, but Zhang Shuying was right. You really are beautiful. Not only the boys in our class but also the girls were captivated.”

Lu Nong was surprised to find she had a new roommate. Cheng Duoduo was a chatterbox. Seeing that Lu Nong was beautiful but didn’t act conceited, she took a seat next to her and started chatting.

Without Lu Nong needing to ask, Cheng Duoduo eagerly shared her background. She was a local, unmarried, and the third daughter in her family. Since her parents didn’t want to have more girls, they named her Duoduo^[1]“Duoduo” (多多) means “a lot” or “many.” The parents named her this because they didn’t want to have another girl, so the name reflects their wish that … Continue reading. She gritted her teeth and said that she would change her name someday.

After having a disagreement with her original roommates, she moved to a mixed dorm in a fit of anger.

Cheng Duoduo secretly told Lu Nong that someone in the dormitory was talking about her being married and having children last night, but she did not take it as an offense and said to Lu Nong earnestly, “Don’t feel inferior. What’s wrong with getting married? Can’t college students get married? There are many people in our school who are married, so why don’t they talk about them? I think they’re just jealous of your beauty and trying to undermine your confidence.”

Throughout her speech, Cheng Duoduo didn’t give Lu Nong a chance to interject.

Lu Nong: “…”

“Isn’t it possible that I’m not feeling inferior at all?”

Cheng Duoduo: “…”

Lu Nong continued, “Like you said, if I’m so good-looking, then why should I feel inferior? Even those who gave me compliments don’t feel inferior, so why would I?”

Cheng Duoduo’s eyes widened in surprise. “How could you…”

Lu Nong blinked innocently and replied, “What’s wrong with me?”

“Usually, when someone is complimented, they’re modest and deflect. You… don’t seem modest at all?” Cheng Duoduo struggled to articulate her thoughts. “You’re quite confident, huh?”

Lu Nong smiled, “Now you don’t have to worry about my self-esteem, right?”

Cheng Duoduo pondered this and began to view her attractive new roommate differently.

At noon, Pei Zheng was obediently waiting for Lu Nong at the cafeteria entrance. When Lu Nong arrived, he took her meal ticket and went to get the food.

Cheng Duoduo, feeling that she had developed a good rapport with Lu Nong over the morning, followed her to the cafeteria. When she saw Lu Nong meet a handsome young man, she assumed Pei Zheng was Lu Nong’s husband. She couldn’t help but envy, “Sister Lu Nong, is this your husband? He looks so dashing! You both got into college together. No wonder you married so early.”

“He’s not my husband. You could just think of him as…” Lu Nong paused and said, “my younger brother.”

She wasn’t trying to hide her relationship with Pei Zheng, it just wasn’t necessary. The fact that a stepmother and stepson were in college together would certainly be a topic of gossip, regardless of the era. Lu Nong didn’t want to give others the chance to discuss her family matters, especially since she and Cheng Duoduo weren’t close enough to share personal details.

Cheng Duoduo felt embarrassed upon hearing this and quickly apologized, “I’m sorry; I misunderstood. I just thought he looked so charming…”

“It’s fine.” Lu Nong brushed it off. Cheng Duoduo was not the only one who misunderstood that she and Pei Zheng were a couple.

Unexpectedly, Cheng Duoduo’s face turned red, and with a shy demeanor, she stammered, “Since you two aren’t a couple, could you… could you introduce him to me?”

Lu Nong was stunned. Who said that people of this era are very reserved?

Nonsense!

“Wait! He’s only sixteen…” Lu Nong struggled to mention Pei Zheng’s age, hoping to dissuade Cheng Duoduo from pursuing him.

Cheng Duoduo was initially disappointed but then perked up, saying, “That’s okay. I’m eighteen, just two years older than him. Just introduce us, and when he turns eighteen, I’ll be the first to pursue him. If we get together, I’ll definitely thank you, Sister Lu Nong.”

Lu Nong: “…” If you succeed, you may not only have to thank me, but also call me mom.

“Why don’t you go get your food first? The cafeteria might run out later.”

Not receiving an immediate answer, Cheng Duoduo felt a bit let down. “Alright, I’ll go get in line and come back to find you after I’ve finished.”

After Cheng Duoduo left, Pei Zheng returned with two plates of food. He ate quickly, and by the time Lu Nong was halfway through her meal, his plate was already empty. After finishing, he handed Lu Nong the class schedule and casually chatted with her before leaving in excitement.

When Cheng Duoduo returned with her food, she found Lu Nong sitting alone at the table, the seat across from her empty. Disappointed, she complained, “It’s all because the people in front of me were so slow. I didn’t even get a chance to say a word to him.”

Lu Nong sighed in relief. She certainly didn’t want to play matchmaker for her stepson!

After a brief midday break in the dorm, there was only one major class in the afternoon. Lu Nong didn’t waste the free time. She borrowed a senior’s textbook and sat in on a fourth-year class.

Passing by the basketball court, she noticed several boys playing basketball, with a group of girls watching eagerly from the sidelines. Lu Nong easily spotted Pei Zheng among the players. He looked lively on the court, and several girls pointed at him, whispering and giggling.

Lu Nong smirked. No wonder this kid ate so fast. He must have rushed off to play basketball.

She planned to organize Pei Zheng’s class schedule tonight so he could focus on his studies and avoid unnecessary romantic entanglements.

After the last class, Lu Nong walked out of the school gate and spotted Pei Ji’an’s jeep parked nearby. Just as she was about to approach it, Cheng Duoduo called out to her, “Sister Lu Nong, where do you live? Let’s go home together!”

Lu Nong paused and hesitated. “I can’t today. My family is coming to pick me up. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Having said that, she quickly walked toward the jeep, genuinely fearing that Cheng Duoduo would run after her and ask her to introduce her to Pei Ji’an…

Lu Nong was not joking. When she returned to the dorm at noon, Cheng Duoduo had overheard Zhang Shuying mention that Lu Nong had four younger brothers. Cheng Duoduo looked at her with the eyes of a hungry wolf, insisting that Lu Nong introduce each of them to her. The way she said it made it clear that she wanted to choose one of them as a potential partner.

In her hurry to leave, Lu Nong didn’t notice that behind her, another girl was also following closely, seemingly trying to catch up with her but unfortunately was a step too late.

After getting in the car, Lu Nong saw Pei Zheng was already in the car and said quickly: “Drive, drive, let’s go quickly.”

Xiao Zhou was confused, but he obediently started the car and left the school.

Qian Yu, who was waiting for Lu Nong at the school gate: “…”

Qian Yu looked at the back of the car, gritted her teeth, got on her bike, and followed behind the car.